Gallery: Design Bindings

Title: Franklin's Fate

Franklin's Fate

The Voyage of the “Fox” in the Arctic Seas. A Narrative of the Discovery of the Fate of Sir John Franklin and his Companions by Captain M’Clintock, R.N., LL.D. | Bound by artist 2014 | $4000
available from The Kelmscott Bookshop

Sir John Franklin’s 1845 expedition was one of many to search for the elusive Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Franklin’s two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became trapped in sea ice and were abandoned in 1848. None of the 129 man crew survived, and the ships were believed to be lost. The Voyage of the “Fox” in the Arctic Seas. A Narrative of the Discovery of the Fate of Sir John Franklin and his Companions is an account of one of numerous expeditions to search for Franklin’s ships and crew.

The design for this binding was inspired by historic and contemporary photographs, paintings and illustrations of sea ice and Arctic exploration. The latest expedition to search for Franklin’s ships began in August 2014, concurrently with work on this binding. The well-preserved wreckage of HMS Erebus was found on September 7, 2014.